The Evolution Of Hindi Rock In India & Bands That You Need To Check Out

The 80s and 90s gave birth to what is known as “Hindi Rock”, and currently this genre is backed by a larger following than ever. In spite of the fact that Bollywood music holds the most prominence and recognition in the Indian music scene, Indian rock music has always existed parallel to it. This genre has given rise to numerous bands and artists. Even though Indian/Hindi rock music is gaining popularity because of digital marketing and various music and college fests, it still remains a fringe in front of the very dominant Bollywood soundtracks. However, the future looks encouraging thanks to the following rock bands and artists. They are adding more life to the genre. You should definitely consider checking them out!

The Local Train

Raman Negi, Paras Thakur, Ramit Mehra and Sahil Sarin together form the The Local Train. The band has been signed by MTV and produces music under many genres such as Pop Rock, Indie Rock and Indian Rock. This Delhi based band released their debut album “Aalas Ke Pedh” in September 2015. The album fetched a lot of appreciation. The Local Train was named India’s number 1 rock band by Sennheiser in 2015. They were also featured in India’s most eminent music magazine The Rolling Stones’ July and September 2015 issues. Along the line they’ve released music videos for their songs “Aoge Tum Kabhi”, “Bandey”, “Yeh Zindagi” and “Kaise Jiyu”. They’ve toured various cities and played at innumerable college fests, for instance BITS Pilani, IIM Bangalore, IIT Kanpur, and many more.

Faridkot

Channel V’s Launchpad 2009 finalists Faridkot have established themselves in the Indian Rock scene. This Delhi based band was formed back in 2008. Vocalist Inderjeet (IP) Singh, guitarist Rajarshi Sanyal, drummer Sahil Mediratta and bassist Nikhil Rufus Raj joined forces to create an extraordinary Sufi/blues-rock band. Their debut album “Ek” managed to gather a lot of positive response. Their second album came out later in 2014, called “Phir Se”. They’ve also released music videos for their hits like “Laila” and “Mahi Ve”.

Sifar

With about 26 songs under 3 albums to their credit, Indian rock band Sifar sure has made it’s ground strong in the industry. They’re popular at college festivals and have performed in colleges across the nation. They’ve also appeared on various radio channels such as HIT 95 FM, Radio One 94.3 FM, and more. They have been featured in varied music magazines including The Rolling Stones India. Sifar has also managed to bag nominations for a variety of awards, best album included.

Advaita

New Delhi’s Advaita is one of the most successful Indian rock bands in the business. The band consists of eight members, and creates incredible alternative rock and fusion music. They’ve performed on various eminent shows such as MTV Unplugged and Coke Studio. They won Global Indian Music Awards’ Best Rock Album 2012 award for their second album “The Silent Sea”.

Astitva The Band

Astitva The Band was formed back in 2006 and still continues to rule over hearts. Their music is relatable and that’s what attracts the audience that they have. Signed with T-Series, the band members Salman Khan (Vocals), Zaman Khan (Guitar), Amit James (Bass), Kamal (Keyboard) and Ayush Gupta (Drums) have managed to put together two incredible albums – “Patang Dor” and “Valentine’s Night”.